Explosions in the Sky
by Aelis Aisling
Summary: Wolverine visits the quiet town of Schnookersville on the loudest day of the year.


_Another product of my headache. Dedicated to the wonderful cheesy sauce I had today._

**XMEN XMEN XMEN**

Red, white, and blue glared from all sides. A fuzzy-faced man peeked out through his helmet. A patch of green appeared before him, breaking the trend. He took off a moment later, leaving the intersection and the admiring gazes of awed boys on dressed-up bikes behind.

The small town was gone just as quickly, replaced by farms, and then giving way to thick woods. The number of lanes fluctuated, as well as the frequency of connecting roads. Even at this time in the late afternoon, there was very little traffic.

He took a turn onto a smaller road, then another, and finally onto a gravel road. This turned into a dirt road after a few twists, then into little more than a deer run.

At an indistinguishable spot, he pulled over. Here he pulled off his helmet and jacket before plunging into the woods. Every few steps he would sniff. Sometimes he would alter his path.

"Hey," he grunted. A small figure detached itself from a tree and stalked over. He stared at this smaller girl, seeing himself reflected back. They embraced briefly, and then an awkward silence settled down.

"Happy Independence Day," Logan said at last. X23 merely tilted her head. "It's a celebration of freedom," he elaborated. "I heard Schnookersville was putting on a big show tonight." A few more moments of silence. "Wanna go?"

She gave a shrug and followed him back to his bike. He produced a second helmet and jacket from the compartment on the back and they were off.

**XMEN XMEN XMEN**

"WELCOME to SCHNOOKERSVILLE" a large sign said in big, friendly letters. Smaller and less permanent signs directed traffic to a parking lot near a lake, then pedestrians to a large beach area on the north side. Vendors wheeled carts through the crowds to sell sparklers or hypnotizing light makers. Booths sold more of the same, as well as a large variety of snack foods. In addition to the corn dogs, pretzels, and cotton candy, some displayed pizza, ice cream, and items fried beyond recognition.

In the center of the festivities, X23 clung to Wolverine's side. The sounds seemed to be overwhelming to her, as well as the strong scent of strange foods that kept cardiologists in business. He politely nodded at the salespeople and they turned to a more profitable crowds.

Soon they were at the fringes of the large, cleared lake front. Brightly colored patches marked plots claimed by spectators, though most had been abandoned for the time being. Logan kicked dead plant matter aside and took a seat on the ground. X23 joined him and looked around. Not a word was exchanged as the people filtered back to their spots.

Dusk fell. She looked at him with curiosity, but he just smiled and pointed ahead.

A few cracks and bangs from explosions echoed from the far side of the lake. Logan's sensitive ears also picked up on the sound of twin blades unsheathed from each of his clone's hands. He looked at her, who looked back warily. Again he merely pointed at the sky.

With a scream, a single spot of fire rose into the air. It seemed to hang for a moment before bursting into a cloud of brightly colored sparks with a naboom. Another rocket zoomed up before the first had a chance to fade, and was quickly followed by more.

X23's jaw hung loose, eyes opened wide, and claws retracted. A smile began to grow and her eyeballs raced around their sockets.

After a huge finale that brought back the light of day, the lake fell silent. Adults began to collect their belongings and rouse the children. X23 stood up as well, looking at least a little dejected. She helped Logan up and began to follow him back to the bike.

Three more screams ripped the air and she spun quickly to catch it. the sparks disappeared for a silent moment, then loud booms echoed as pom-poms, the first red, the second white, and the third blue, burst in the smokey sky. A cheer went up from the crowd before the migration back to the parking lot continued.

Every time she closed her eyes, X23 could still see the various patterns of light. It felt like she smiled all the way to her home.

Wolverine stopped in the same glade and turned to his clone. He hesitated for a moment too long and she was gone. He waited another moment before turning around to head back to the institute.


End file.
